“A former lawyer faces multiple charges of theft and fraud after investigators say he stole about $700,000 from clients over a period of three years,” reports 10 Tampa Bay in their Crime. section.

“According to FDLE, 52-year-old Moein Marashi from Clearwater was arrested after an investigation found he had ‘deprived clients of money entrusted to him for legal services.'”

“Marashi was a member of the Florida Bar Association from 2002 until he was disbarred in August 2019, FDLE reports. The investigation also began in 2019.”

Read the article.

“The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Wednesday that General Electric Co. … has agreed to pay a $200 million penalty to settle charges for misleading investors regarding the profitability and risks to some of its core business lines, the agency said.” reports Chris Matthews in MarketWatch’s Economy & Politics.

“The order found that the company misled investors in 2016 and 2017 about the source of profitability in its GE Power business, and failed to inform investors of risks relating to its portfolio of long-term health insurance liabilities between 2015 and 2017.”

“General Electric stock fell 75.7% from the beginning of 2016 through the end of 2018, according to FactSet.”

Read the article.

“Paradigm-changing shifts in demographics, client expectations, technology, and work styles have given rise to a host of distinct trends in the legal industry,” writes Sally Kane in American Legal Magazine’s Articles and Stories. “As law firms position themselves to succeed in 2021 and beyond, understanding and leveraging these trends will help firms become more efficient, productive and competitive in the coming year.” She discusses the top five trends that will shape legal practices:

1. New Talent & Hiring Strategies
2. Increased Focus on the Client Experience
3. Emerging Technologies
4. Micro-Niches
5. Broader Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion and Equality

Read the article.

Stout today announced the addition of Ellen Kuplic as a Director in the Legal Management Consulting practice. Based in Chicago, Kuplic brings over 25 years of legal experience developing, implementing, and managing a wide variety of programs and processes that achieve efficiencies, cost savings, risk mitigation, and modernization.

Prior to joining Stout, Kuplic held many in-house roles at bp serving as a trusted advisor to general counsel, senior attorneys, and other stakeholders, including Global Legal Operations Manager, Director of Legal Learning, Discovery Coordinator, and Senior Litigation Paralegal. As a visionary leader who is relentless in her commitment to transform operations, she led the development of a long-term legal technology roadmap, implemented tools to monitor and manage internal and external costs, created preferred vendor programs including a robust law firm panel program, introduced standardization with the adoption of systems and technology, and rolled out new workflows to create process simplification across departments.

Stout’s Legal Management Consulting team assists corporate counsel and law firms in managing their business. They work side-by-side with legal organizations, their IT and business partners, and third-party providers to contain risk and cost through process improvement, efficient data management, and technology usage.

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP has announced that Jonathan D. Jay has joined the firm’s Business Litigation practice group as a partner in the Minneapolis office. Formerly a partner with Hellmuth & Johnson PLLC, where he led the intellectual property and insurance defense litigation groups, Jay is a seasoned trial attorney and defends businesses accused of alleged infringement in a wide variety of intellectual property disputes. Jon also represents property and casualty insurance companies directly in various coverage matters.

Jay advises businesses and insurance carriers on a range of matters related to patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright and trade secret disputes. In addition, he represents clients in complex commercial litigation, including class action defense and mass tort cases, along with first party property coverage cases. He has successfully represented clients before juries and courts—nationwide—in federal and state courts and for years has been preferred national defense counsel for a major insurance company, defending its policyholders in IP matters.

Jay received his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota – Duluth and his J.D., cum laude, from University of Minnesota Law School. He began his law career as a Special Assistant City Attorney in the Criminal Division in St. Paul, before joining Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly in 1998. He was an owner of Leffert Jay & Polglaze for 12 years before joining Hellmuth & Johnson in 2014.

Buchalter is pleased to announce the promotions of Northern California based Benjamin H. Heuer, and Scottsdale based Shaleen D. Brewer and Renee M. Shprecher to Shareholder.

As a member of the Commercial Finance Practice Group, Heuer splits his time between the San Francisco and Sacramento offices. He focuses his practice on matters involving asset based lending, factoring, corporate finance, and loan workouts and restructurings. Heuer represents banks, asset based lenders, factors, specialty finance companies and other non-bank financial institutions in connection with senior-secured, asset-based, syndicated, mezzanine, cross-border, and unsecured financing. In addition, he advises FinTech companies on various aspects of their businesses.

Brewer is a member of the Labor & Employment and Litigation Practice Groups in Scottsdale. She has a diverse practice that includes structuring, negotiating and documenting commercial contracts of all varieties and corporate planning, formation and governance; asset protection and risk management; stock and asset sales and acquisitions; corporate dissolutions; and counseling companies on day‐to‐day operational matters for businesses of all sizes and types. In addition, Brewer has also effectively guided her clients through a variety of litigation matters including real property matters, defense of commercial and contract claims, business and partnership disputes, and labor and employment matters.

Based in Scottsdale, Shprecher is a member of the Real Estate and Commercial Lease Practice Groups. Her real estate practice focuses on development and commercial real estate transactions including leasing, acquisitions and sales, and financing. Shprecher represents local and national developers and investors in all phases of real estate development, including the preparation and negotiation of leases, purchase agreements, development agreements, financing and loan documents, SNDAs and estoppel certificates, CC&Rs, easement and reciprocal access agreements, and the review of all phases of due diligence and title materials. Further, her practice also includes assisting developers with various business and corporate issues.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Robert M. Couch has rejoined the firm’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group following a year-long tenure serving as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Federal Financial Monitor for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Prior to his most recent role with HUD, Couch was a member of Bradley’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group from July 2009 to January 2020. Among his many roles in government and industry services, Couch previously served as General Counsel of HUD, President of Ginnie Mae and Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Couch has also served as a commissioner on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission, a member of President George W. Bush’s Task Force on the Status of Puerto Rico, President and CEO of New South Federal Savings Bank in Birmingham, and General Counsel and CFO of First Commercial Bancshares.

Couch’s practice focuses on counseling clients on significant and sensitive legal matters involving oversight, risks and interplay with regulatory and government sponsored entities affecting the financial services industry. In addition, he assists clients with a broad array of legal and strategic issues across the housing industry.

“Facebook’s purchases of photo service Instagram and messaging app WhatsApp have helped fuel the social media giant’s massive growth. They’ve also prompted concerns from federal and state authorities about Facebook’s dominance in social networking,” reports Queenie Wong in CNET Daily News.

“The uneasiness with Facebook’s power bubbled over on Wednesday as the Federal Trade Commission and 48 attorneys general filed separate lawsuits in federal court accusing Facebook of illegally stifling its competition by snapping up its rivals.”

“The lawsuits are the latest sign that lawmakers and regulators are ratcheting up their scrutiny of the power that tech giants wield. In addition to Wednesday’s actions, the US Department of Justice’s antitrust division has been talking to developers about their interactions with Oculus, the virtual reality headset maker Facebook owns, Bloomberg reported last week. In October, the Justice Department filed a landmark lawsuit against Google for allegedly holding monopolies in both search and search advertising.”

Read the article.

“In a tumultuous year defined by the Covid-19 pandemic and social justice movements, in-house legal teams have been relied on by their businesses to support employees, their organisations and the wider community,” reports Yasmin Lambert in Financial Times Management.

“The case studies outlined here highlight areas where in-house legal teams are making the greatest impact, whether in the way that they have responded to the pandemic, helped drive inclusion and diversity or reshaped the workplace.”

“While lawyers are often among the most cautious colleagues when embracing change, this year has required them to show they can adapt at speed, often widening their responsibilities in the process.”

Read the article.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced December 8, 2020 “that Robert B. Stebbins will conclude his tenure as General Counsel in early January, after serving over three and a half years as the agency’s chief legal officer,” announced U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a Press Release.

“During his tenure, Mr. Stebbins led the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), which includes over 150 professionals and is responsible for supporting a wide range of key functions across the agency. The office advises on all rulemaking, guidance and other Commission and staff policy matters; advises on all Commission enforcement actions; litigates non-enforcement matters and appeals on behalf of the agency; advises on matters related to the Commission’s budget, real estate leasing, intellectual property disputes, personnel and EEO proceedings, and labor relations and collective bargaining; and prepares Commission opinions in adjudications heard by the Commission. OGC also provides legal analysis and advice to the Commission, to the individual Commissioners and to the Commission’s five divisions and 24 offices as to the federal securities laws, administrative laws and other laws that affect independent agencies and as to judicial, legislative and other developments affecting the Commission’s mission and operations.”

Read the article.

Boies Schiller & Flexner announced bank breaking bonuses, but they aren’t done spreading the good news, reports Kathryn Rubino in Above the Law’s Biglaw.

“BSF has revealed a new program designed to make it a little easier for those that are on the precipice of starting their legal career. Though they’ve yet to start work at the firm (they’re scheduled to start next month), they’re still sharing in the firm’s successes — to the tune of $20,000. That’s right: incoming associates will receive sizable welcoming bonuses at BSF.”

Read the article.

Chicago, New York – Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce the names of its newly elected partners, listed below by office and area of practice. These individuals will formally become Partners in the Firm effective January 1, 2021.

The new Sidley partners are as follows:

Boston
Daniel S. Rawner, Private Equity

Century City
Payom M. Pirahesh, Private Equity

Chicago
Daniel C. Craig, White Collar: Government Litigation and Investigations
Lawrence P. Fogel, Commercial Litigation and Disputes
Ian Helmuth, M&A
Gregory A Marrs, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
Andrew E. Nelson, Investment Funds
Teresa L. Reuter, Labor, Employment and Immigration
Catherine Y. Starks, Healthcare

Dallas
Tara M. Lancaster, Tax
Charles M. Persons, Restructuring

Houston
Katy L. Lukaszewski, Energy

London
Max Savoie, Banking and Financial Services
Jade Williams-Adedeji, Real Estate

Los Angeles
Eric Schwartz, Commercial Litigation and Disputes
Collin P. Wedel, Commercial Litigation and Disputes

Munich
Andreas Steiger, Restructuring

New York
Pietro Fontana, Global Finance
Sharon Lee, IP Litigation
Sara N. Shouse, Investment Funds
Noam M. Waltuch, Tax

Palo Alto
Sandi Knox, Emerging Companies and Venture Capital

Washington, D.C.
Stacy Crosnicker, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
Jen Fernandez, Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy
Deeona R. Gaskin, Food, Drug and Medical Device Compliance and Enforcement
Gretchen E. Lamberg, Banking and Financial Services
Clayton G. Northouse, Privacy and Cybersecurity
Andrew R. Stewart, Environmental

With 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw.

Davis Wright Tremaine continues its 2020 lateral hiring campaign with a new partner in Los Angeles who expands the firm’s litigation team focused on technology companies. Rasheed McWilliams, who joins the firm from Zuber Lawler & Del Duca, is a trial lawyer focused on IP infringement litigation and the defense of California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) cases.

Prior to his time at Zuber, McWilliams was president and general counsel of iPEL, Inc., where he spearheaded the implementation of the company’s strategy for the enforcement and licensing of its large portfolio of patented technologies in the U.S. and China.

McWilliams’ practice complements those of two leading technology litigators who joined the firm earlier this year: David Gossett, former head of litigation at the FCC, and Spencer Persson, who focuses primarily on privacy and security class actions in California and across the country. “We’re continuing to build a litigation practice that handles the whole array of cutting-edge litigation that technology companies face, and Rasheed’s addition is central to that vision,” said Gossett. “Rasheed adds a significant depth of experience to our technology and litigation practices and is a perfect fit for our strong and expanding team,” added Persson.

McWilliams received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2003 where he was a member of the Black Allied Law Students Association. He received his B.S., magna cum laude, from Morehouse College in 1999. He is the 12th new partner to join the firm this year. All of this year’s additions have been in the firm’s targeted industries: technology, healthcare, media/entertainment, energy, financial services and restaurants/food and beverage.

Lowenstein Sandler is pleased to announce that Laura Fraedrich has joined the firm as senior counsel in the Global Trade & Policy group. She will be based in the firm’s rapidly growing Washington, D.C., office.

Fraedrich has nearly 25 years of experience counseling clients on complex international trade matters, including import and export controls and sanctions, across a range of industries, including technology, financial services, energy, and telecommunications. A former partner at Jones Day and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, her practice focuses on helping companies achieve their business goals while complying with U.S. regulatory regimes, such as those enforced by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In addition to counseling clients on foreign direct investment requirements and assisting with CFIUS filings and mitigation negotiations, Fraedrich applies her deep subject matter knowledge to a broad array of customs matters, including ruling requests, prior disclosures, protests, penalties, seizures, liquidated damages, and audits covering classification, valuation, country of origin, and trade preference issues.

She also represents clients on issues arising from Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) economic sanctions, export control restrictions under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and trade remedies (including antidumping and countervailing duty matters and Section 201, 232, 301, 421, and 337 matters).

Fraedrich’s addition is yet another strategic step in expanding the firm’s regulatory offerings in the nation’s capital. “As our office continues to deepen its bench of regulatory lawyers, Laura’s deep understanding of trade issues will complement our antitrust and litigation practices here in Washington,” says head of Lowenstein’s D.C. office, partner Zarema A. Jaramillo.

Lowenstein’s Washington, D.C., office has tripled in size since its opening six years ago. Jonathan L. Lewis and Mark E. Schamel are other notable 2020 additions as partners in the respective practices of Antitrust & Trade Regulation and White Collar Criminal Defense.

The firm’s Global Trade & Policy practice helps U.S. and foreign companies manage trade risks, ensure regulatory compliance, and effectively communicate their positions to legislators, law enforcement officials, and policymakers. The White Collar and Antitrust practices work together to represent clients in criminal antitrust matters (investigations and trials), class action antitrust lawsuits, actions brought by customers and suppliers, actions by or against competitors, and monopolization cases. Lawyers across these groups have diverse government backgrounds and an in-depth understanding of governmental agencies, providing a strong advantage in investigations brought by the DOJ, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the SEC, the IRS, OFAC, DDTC, BIS, state attorneys general, and other regulatory bodies, as well as on issues concerning the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA); criminal antitrust; health care, securities, and tax fraud; political corruption; and regulatory compliance.

New York, NY, Dec. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hanzo Hold has become favored as the “best practice” legal and compliance application to manage Enterprise data within Slack, now allows customers to extend their matter management to G Suite (Google Workspace) data. Starting with “Follow-the-Link,” customers can identify critical Google data nested within Slack threads, messages, and groups, retrieve that data, and combine both Enterprise data sets into a single, surgical export for import into today’s industry-standard review platforms.

Following this initial launch, Hanzo will be adding support for Google Drive, Gmail, and other Google Workspace data sources — with the roadmap accelerating quickly from there. In 2021, Hanzo Hold will be the authoritative source for internal investigations, security checks, legal holds, and compliance archiving across all dynamic, complex content types.

Follow-the-link functionality for G Suite within Slack is just one example of how Hanzo applies its mission by leveraging its deep experience in dynamic data today to help customers manage tomorrow’s data challenges.

“The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) today announced that Damien Atkins, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, will be resigning due to family illness effective January 31, 2021. In connection with his pending resignation, Mr. Atkins will step down from his General Counsel and Secretary role immediately and will focus on the transition of his responsibilities until his departure. James Turoff, currently Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, will serve as Acting General Counsel as the company completes its internal and external search process for Atkins’ successor,” released Hershey in their Recent News Releases.

“Atkins joined Hershey in 2018. In his role, Atkins led Hershey’s legal, government relations, corporate security and corporate secretary teams. He and his team helped protect the company during these socially and economically tumultuous times and navigate Hershey’s continued expansion into the better-for-you snacking category.”

Read the article.

“Despite their collective years of practice, a recent case tried by four plaintiff lawyers was in some ways a unique experience,” reports Olivia Convington in The Indiana Lawyer.

“Of course there was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that lawyers Louis “Buddy” Yosha, Rich Cook, Bryan Tisch and Brandon Yosha had to contend with during their trial in Marion Superior Court. There was also the fact that at the time the case of Simmons v. Indianapolis Power & Light Co. went to trial, Brandon Yosha had only been a licensed lawyer for five weeks.”

“Plus, in the world of personal injury cases, trials aren’t nearly as common as they used to be. What’s more, this trial lasted two full weeks — also uncommon in personal injury law.”

Read the article.

“Davis Brown Law Firm, one of Iowa’s largest law firms, is combining with Dentons, which bills itself as the world’s largest firm,” reports Kathy A. Bolten in BusinessRecord.

“The new partnership is not an acquisition or merger but rather a combining of two firms that will share resources and services, representatives of the two firms said in an interview with the Business Record.”

“Davis Brown, founded in 1929, has nearly 80 lawyers who work in its offices in downtown Des Moines, West Des Moines and Ames.”

“Dentons has offices in more than 75 countries and numerous U.S. cities including Washington, D.C.”

Read the article.

“The Biglaw bonus season is revving into high gear as firms are setting out exactly how much they appreciate their associates,” writes Kathryn Rubino in Above the Law’s Biglaw.

“… the market standard has pretty much been set — and it includes special bonuses that serve as an extra special tip of the hat for working during the wild ride that was 2020 — so it’s the small differences (like distribution dates and hours requirements) that make the most impact in categorizing a firm’s bonus structure.”

“On Friday, Kramer Levin announced year-end bonuses that match the prevailing market rate.”

Read the article for the bonus scale.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Birmingham partner Michael A. Thomason Jr. has been selected as one of The M&A Advisor’s 2020 Emerging Leaders. The M&A Advisor’s 11th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards celebrate the industry’s emerging leaders in M&A, finance and turnaround who have reached a significant level of success in the industry before the age of 40.

Thomason chairs Bradley’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group. He advises public and privately held clients, from emerging growth companies to large corporations, in the areas of business formation, mergers and acquisitions, investment and financing transactions, securities compliance, joint ventures and a variety of other transactions and corporate matters. He has significant experience in private equity and venture capital transactions, representing both private equity companies and other investors in their investments and acquisitions, as well as emerging growth companies in their formation, capital raises and sale.

The M&A Advisor ’s Emerging Leaders Award winners were chosen from a pool of prominent nominees for their notable accomplishments in business and in service to the community. An independent panel of judges reviewed submissions and selected this year’s winners, who will be formally recognized on January 28, 2021, at a virtual awards gala. The complete list of 2020 honorees can be seen here.